THE TECH FRIDAY, APRI L 27, 1973 PAGE 11 [Sister George, continued from page 71 "Country Blues," in which Merle plays a I with some just right special effects. "frailing" style banjo. Then Doc sang and The musicianship is tight, often in- "Life is a Gas." But whichever the type, be, plu s even more humorous. spired, and all four, de Buhr, keyboardist In fact, many parts of the play are so backed Merle's banjo on a Clarence Bolan's genius was his ability to give each Ashley tune, "Honey Babe Blues." Nickey Barclay, and the Millington sis- song a certain uniqueness, an individuat- comic (there's even a Lauren and Hardy ters, June on lead guitar, Jean on bass, do sketch) that it's hard to believe that the Merle's banjo was still the lead instrument ing riff or catchy chord progression, and, - Doc was saving the limelight for his vocals, sometimes one voice, sometimes above all, amusingly obscure, teasingly actors can bring it off so poignantly. But all four. And who should have done the they do, giving us an insightful vignette of son's abilities. nonsensical lyrics. He had the formulas Doc and Merle played two "love" production chores but one Todd Rund- down so well, or so it seemed. The songs people being forced to live with each gren, who somehow or other seems to get other, and with the world outside. Mercy songs. The first was a request - an old on Tanx show little imagination, no new Carter Family tune, called "Storms Are himself written into every other review I ideas, no new hooks or riffs, most based Croft can do it well, while George and do. Actually, Todd engineered and mixed Alice haven't quite been able to. The On the Ocean." Both guitars harmonized on one or two chords. Few are typically somewhat effectively on "Storms." The the record, too. The boy keeps busy. infectious T. Rex rockers. Lyrics are for result is an evening you won't regret, even While I don't want to suggest that if you've never come close to having a other "love" song is a Townes Van Zandt the most part hard to hear, and are not part in "Days of Our Lives." Victoria composition which they recently re- Fanny consider themselves spokespersons printed anywhere on or in the packaging, Fraser is a genuinely superb actress. and corded, "If I Needed You." Doc's ar- for the Women's Lib movement, many of and so most are lost to posterity. Only rangement is even nicer than Van Zandt's, their songs do portray relationships where "Electric Slim & the Factory Hen" and her portrayal of George is incredibly real. the girl is the more She, the director Rosann Weeks, and the and oMerle's lead guitar playing on this confident, rational, "Rapids" have much of a distinctive number indicates that Doc has been mature, or simply together of the two melody, but neither cut compares with rest of the case, have made this play a involved. And the message that seems to true artistic success. grooming his son to be his protege. what we've come to expect from Bolan. The Killing of Sister George is playing The Watsons did another song that underlie much of the lyric content of Doc claims that he likes to sing, "St. Mothers Pride is a refreshing one, that at the Old West Church at 131 Cambridge what happens Two other points: since The Slider Street in Boston (near Government James Infirmary." Merle took the lead when two people decide to again on this one, and his guitar made the be together depends on who needs what, came out a little under a year ago, three Center), about a half-hour walk across the singles not on that album have been Longfellow Bridge. song bluesy and funky, almost cocky in and not on who should do what based spots. upon sexist social demands and conven- released over in England, although not All in all, the evening at Symphony tions; especially refreshing to someone over here. "Children of the Revolution" Hall was one of versatility in music, who so often finds himself on the and "Solid Gold Easy Action" did their 66TI-9 offering variety between blues, fifties "wrong" end of American society's mandatory tours of duty in the upper rock, bluegrass, contemporary "folk" tyrannical emotional see-saw. stratosphere of the charts, and the new music, and just fine picking. I love this record for many reasons, "20th Century Boy" was No. 3 by its Doc and Merle have a new album out musically as well as ideologically, and it first week on the charts, and that's as I i29$~o erle,99 now, also, called Then and Now (Poppy). grows with each listening. Don't pass it high as it -got, held down by Donny Then and No w not only features the up. Osmond's darling Donna Fargo im- talented Watsons, but also the inimitable mitation "Twelveth of Never," and by Wanda Adams fiddling of Vassar Clements and the pre- Slade's latest monster hit, "Cum On Feel the Noice," which jumped onto the Doc and Merle Watson have given cise country dobro playing of Norman Blake. The four combine to offer a nice charts at No. 1 its first week on. I assume many fine performances since they began by the popularity of these singles that playing together. They came through cross-section of what the Watsons seem to enjoy playing. Doc, it seems, likes to -play they are in the old T. Rex vein; yet, none with another solid live performance a few are on Tanx. weeks ago at Symphony Hall, and, with the blues even more than he enjoys hut n®amtainix the help of contemporary local per- bluegrass style. He does two really solid former, Chris Smither, the evening was blues pieces on Then and Now, "Milk The other point is titat, unlike its even more pleasant than anticipated. Cow Blues" and "That's All." Both are by Cherry Neon predecessors, Electric Warrior and The Smither appeared on stage with little enhanced by his harp work, which is just Slider, the lyrics to the tunes on Tanx are enough to add to the bluesy effect of the Tanx - T. Rex (Warner Bros.) nowhere reproduced on or in the packag- introduction. Chris, who, like the No denying it, the front cover is really ing. Instead, you get a black and white Watsons, records for Poppy records, songs. killer, and the schematics Two instrumentals appear on Then of tanks on the poster of Marc and his toy tank, exploit- opened with a Paul Geremia/Chuck Berry inside and back covers will drive any war ing the phallic nuances of a tank's turret composition, "Henry David Thoreau," and Now. One is a traditional song paraphenalia phreak to joyful ecstacy. arranged by Merle, "Bonaparte's Ret- and gun. Small consolation indeed. which is a spoof of sorts on the current (A friend identified several of them.) commercialization of Walden Pond. reat." This is a really fine conglomeration But musically, this album has few peers in Chris offered several easy, soft pieces of fiddle, dobro and guitar that gives the terms of downright vapidity. It is, in the song a smooth, almost effortless effect. I have no idea why Tanx should be so such as "Lonely Time" and Richie light of Marc Bolan's past two humorous, terrible; Bolan has more than proved Furay's "Kind Woman." Smither's ver- The other instrumental is "Rain Crow mystical, danceable triumphs, Electric Bill" which features mostly Doc's harp himself before, and perhaps that's it. He sion of "Kind Woman" is gentle and Warrior and The Slider, an insult and an is quoted in Star (sort of a 16 or Flip for yearning, almost pleading. work and Jim Isabel's leg playing. Merle outrage. The worst piece of trash to come sneaks in a few banjo breaks, but this teenybop chicks who chew a lot of gum In contrast to his soft pieces, he also along in years, and if I learn to love it and also screw), in response to the ques- played several rollicky blues numbers, time it's mostly harp work by Doc. "Franlkie and Johnny" is also per- (infinitesmally small chance of that, tion "Is it ever too much trouble being a notably a moving rendition of "States- formed on this albunm. With the help of friends) it'll be the work of some evil star?", as saying "r don't do it for the boro Blues," which, although it is done nice instrumental breaks by Clements and sorcerer, and due in no part to any money any more. I'm a millionaire... I again and again by various artists, is still a redeeming musical value inherent in don't feel I have to put up with anything solid song. Blake on fiddle and dobro, respectively, the song is more than just a remake of an Tanx. And, just to round out his portion of What happened? : '. the evening, he performed a Chuck Berry old standard. Perhaps the best number on Then and The charm, wit, rav- ! ' ''me tune, "No Money Down." It is one of Ing sillmplicity, and : .. Berry's more bluesy numbers, and Now, however, is the Townes Van Zandt composition, "If I Needed You." Some- elegantly commer- .,4 Smither's blues guitar talents enhance the cial and incanta- . overall mood of the song. Smither called times the back-up string work is slightly too much, but basically, "If I Needed tional flash have all "' 4 "No Money Down" a commentary on vanished. In their "American consumer protection in the You" is a pleasantly effective expression L ! of love. place, the 13 tracks ~~~ 50's" - it's about a guy who sees a sign on this album are . i that reads, "No money down" and he The cover of Then and Now features close-up photographs of Doc's hands on maessy, ill-inspired buys a whopper of a Cadillac and ends up copes of Marc's '}i" ' with a lemon. one side and of Merle's hands on the other. After the Symphony Hall concert, past material, as "} -*,qi~~~ Then Doc and Merle appeared on I met Doc Watson and spoke with him ugly and ungainly as:: stage. Merle surprised me somewhat - he unretouched high gets hipper every time I see him. This briefly. I shook his hand, half in the hopes that when I went home and picked school graduation time, he was sporting sideburns and a real up my own guitar, some of his fancy pictures, as aratuer- , . moustache. What could be happening to playing would rub off on me. Doc Wat- ish and boring as the this once clean-cut southern boy? What- son's hands have produced some fine w~~~ar r o broom 't~~~ ~ ever it is, it seems to agree with Merle. music over the years. But alas, I went b a n d, T o begin Doc and Merle opened with "Freight home and picked up the Martin, and it with, the sound ,. Train Boogie," sparked by the usual Doc was the same old me - the handshake quality is quite Watson flashy guitar breaks. Then they didn't help at all... poor, virtually ' - ; f ; ' t ' went to a long-time Watson favorite, a l ways upon the O "Peach Pickin' Time in George," which backdrop of annoy- declares, "When it's peach pickin' time in ingly anonymous ' Georgie, apple pickin' time in Tennessee, strings ( or is it a-_ cotton pickin' time in Mississippi, every- mellotron?). Marc's ?-.. body's pickin' on me. . . " The audience guitar playing is so obviously had wanted to hear this song, r -FPanynspastic and slipshod, . ^ %.: judging from their reaction when it was played. his voice sounds so lazy and bored, Marc Bolan Doc then explained that they would by Mark Astolfi obsessed with the notion that he and perform their "most requested song" - producer Tony Visconti can do no wrong. or pretend to be something that I'm not." "Deep River Blues." They did, and, as Mothers Pride- Fanny (Warner Bros.) There are virtually no liner notes, so I Thus, he does an inspiringly awful stage This fine album is Fanny's fourth, and don't know who to blame for what; I show, and [his is the first time his usual, it too was flawless; it seems to be contempt for his audiences surfaces on a just about everybody's favorite Doc Wat- their best to date. Suffering only oc- imagine T.Rex (the two backup musi- son thing, mostly, I think, because of casionally from Musician's Disease (lack cians) are still around, but I don't know T.Rex album. The sequin-studded facade Doc's superb arrangement and guitar of originality), Mothers Pride has a wide about Flo and Eddie, for some of the of the solid platinum elf boogleing to the work. variety of different types of songs, from vocal backing sounds like them, but it planets in a powder blue 1957 Mercury could just as well be Bolan. And many of Turnpike Cruiser has been lifted, re- The Watsons offered several ins- the wistful, acoustic "Long Road Home," vealing T.Sex for the obnoxious little trumental numbers, also, including two to the bitterly sarcastic, autobiographical the tracks are blemished by some ragged flatpicked fiddle tunes, "Beaumont Rag" "Solid Gold" (drummer Alice de Buhr's sax playing: whoever is responsible ought shlock-monger he apparently always was. to be put out of his misery. and "Black Mountain Rag." Merle took lead vocals reminds one of a drunk Ray I never thought that l'd ever have to over the lead several times, and his guitar Davies), to the biting, heavy metal But the songs themselves are the most say such things about Marc Bolan, but in competence was quite impressive. thunder of "I Need You Need Me." Other light of this LP, they're sadly true, and I Merle also played banjo for a while, excellent cuts are: "Summer SoAg," a disappointing aspect of all. Marc's tunes bouncy, hot-fun-in-the-summertime tune; were never very complex: clever quips as know a lot of people who really dug and his banjo playing is steadily imp- T.Rex on the .strength of the last two roving. (Three years ago at the Phil- "Polecat Blues," a hot funk boogie/blues opposed to involved treatises. They were number; and the Beatlesque "Regular cut out of two basic molds: the rockers, records are gonna run out and buy Tanx adelphia Folk Festival, Merle had just expecting more of the same. Don't. And begun to play banjo; now he is proficient, Guy." But probably the jewel of the like "Telegram Sam," 'Jeepster," and album is Fanny's version of Randy New- "Raw Ramp," and the slow, plaintive to Marc Bolan, all I can say is: tanx for to put it mildly.) Doc backed Merle's the memories . . . banjo playing on another instrumental, man's eerie "Last Night I Had a Dream," ballads, like "Ballrooms of Mars" and